Climbing pole for climbing jacks

ABSTRACT

In a hoisting device comprising climbing jacks adapted to climb along climbing poles, the latter are stayed by masts arranged to support the transversal forces acting on the climbing poles. In order to avoid the transfer of eccentric bending forces resulting from the weight of the load onto the masts the poles, according to the invention, the poles are longitudinally slidably but nonrotatably guided on the masts. The invention also comprises special means for obtaining such a guiding.

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Andersson 1 Nov. 5, 1974 CLIMBHNG POLE FOR CLlMBlNG JACKS 2,949,984 8/1960 Daniels 248/1884 3,199,642 8/1965 Anderson 187/95 [75] Invent Bengt Valfnd Anderssm" vastems, 3,245,658 4/1966 Sutton 254 105 Sweden 3,556,480 1/1971 .iOhfll'lSSOll 254/105 [73] Assignee: Paul Anderson Industrier AB, FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS Vasteras, Swede 190,088 11/1963 Sweden 187/95 [22] Filed: May 26, 1972 Primary Examiner-Al Lawrence Smith [2}] Appl 257350 Assistant Examiner-Robert C. Watson [30] Foreign Application Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT May 28, 1971 Sweden 6936/71 In a hoisting device comprising climbing jacks adapted to climb along climbing poles, the latter are stayed by [52] US. Cl. 254/ 105 masts arranged to support the transversal forces acting [51] Int. Cl B66f 1/00 on the climbing poles. in order to avoid the transfer of [58] Field of Search 52/29, 637, 648; 187/95; eccentric bending forces resulting from the weight of 254/89 R, 89 H, 105 the load onto the masts the poles, according to the invention, the poles are longitudinally slidably but non- [56] References Cited rotatably guided on the masts. The invention also UNTED STATES PATENTS comprises special means for obtaining such a guiding. 1,872,803 8/1932 Persson 187/95 5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures I 1 T 7 7 r" \r1 1':9 cIPr-1=l 9 1 CLIMBING POLE FOR CLIMBING JACKS BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION This invention relates to a hoisting device comprising climbing bars or poles raised vertically on a base or ground surface and held in position by staying masts or towers, climbing jacks arranged to climb upwards along the climbing bars or poles for hoisting a load, supported by said climbing jacks.

The requirements of the Industry to be able to hoist heavy loads are rapidly increasing. The classic method was to arrange for a fixed point above the object to be hoisted and to suspend a hoisting line therein, which line can be simple or passed several times through blocks and onto a windlass which delivers the necessary hoisting effort. In those cases where even a horizontal transport is required, said fixed point is made horizontally movable by being mounted on a traverse beam. When repeated hoisting operations are required within a limited space, e. g., in a work shop, this is still the most natural solution, but in those cases, where the hoisting operation is needed for the installation of a very heavy object, such as working machines, large pressure tanks or the like which are to remain unmoved in their places, traverse cranes which have been previously used for performing the hoisting operation, have shown to be extremely costly solutions, since they are used only very seldom, e.g., one time each tenth year. It has therefore been necessary to seek other solutions com prising the installation of temporary hoisting means, which can be removed after use and re-installed at another place for further use. A first solution to this problem was to mount two hoisting devices, to mount a transverse beam between them and to install a windlass, which could be mounted either on the beam or on the ground and connected with the object to be hoisted through blocks or the like. The masts or pillars supporting the beam had then to be dimensioned not only with regard to the weight of the load to be hoisted but also to the drag in the line between the windlass on the ground and the beam. The transverse beam had further to be given a length at least equal to the sum of the least possible space between the masts and the distance be tween the free sides of the masts and their axis of gravity at both ends of the beam. A further disadvantage of this device was, that if the hoisting work was concerned with a very long object to be raised vertically, the transverse beam had to be mounted at a height which did not hinder the complete erection of the object, e.g., a chimney. When the so called climbing jacks became known,- other solutions could be found. Such a solution comprised the use of two or more towers or masts with climbing poles, along which the climbing jacks could climb. The climbing poles, however, had the disadvantage to transmit eccentric loads onto the masts so that bending torques were produced in the poles and the staying masts in addition to the normal stresses due to the weight of the load. It is however, extremely important that the masts during the hoisting operation keep an exact spacing, since otherwise additional stresses would arise among other things in the transverse beam interconnecting the climbing jacks and supporting the load of the object to be hoisted. A stiff connection between the climbing pole and the mast staying the same would have the effect that forces acting on the pole would produce very large eccentric loads on the mast.

ln consequence thereof an important increase of the dimension both of the connections between the pole and the mast and of the elements and fastening points in the latter would become necessary. This would in its turn not only increase the manufacturing costs of the masts but also cause great difficulties in the mounting, dismounting and transport which is of special importance in devices of the type considered which have to be transported from one place to another for performing hoisting operations in different locations.

ln order to permit an entirely free variation of the length of the climbing pole which has to support the entire load of the weight of the object to be hoisted, without transmitting vertical loads to the mast, the climbing pole must be longitudinally slidably guided in relation to the mast, so that the latter only has to support the horizontal forces acting on the climbing pole. It has been previously suggested to connect elevator guides longitudinally slidably with the building elements supporting the same. Elevator guides, however, are only subjected to very insignificant longitudinal stresses, so that the guiding means could be formed as guide support members mounted onto the elevator guides by means of bolts screwed therein. Such a connection, however, weakens the guide and is not stiff against pivotal movements. It can therefore not counteract the buckling stresses arising in climbing poles which have to support the entire load and therefore must be able to support the largest compression stresses admissible for the pole cross section.

Climbing jacks are known which are adapted for climbing upwards along a climbing bar or pole and which comprise at least two pairs of opposed clamping jaws and means for moving the jaws of each pair transversely of the pole into and out of gripping engagement with opposite faces of the pole. These faces can be plane for frictional engagement with the clamping jaws or have periodically repeated projections for positive e.g. in US. Pat. No. 3,203,669 and need not be further described here.

Climbing jacks of the type described can be used for hoisting objects by raising one or more climbing poles by connecting said poles with staying masts, by engaging a climbing jack with the lower end of each pole, by connecting the object to be raised with the climbing jacks, and by operating said jacks for climbing along the poles.

When using such a device for hoisting very heavy objects to a considerable height by means of climbing jacks climbing up along climbing poles, the poles are subjected to compression stresses varying from nearly nothing to the maximum allowable load. This causes considerable longitudinal elastic compression and expansions and very high knuckling stresses in the poles. Horizontal forces also act on the load and on the climbing jacks and have to be transmitted to the staying mast without disturbing the vertical relative movements. To attain this the following conditions must be satisfied, which together form the main features of the present invention:

I. a vertical longitudinal guiding of the climbing pole onto the staying mast,

2. a uniform continuous profile of the climbing pole to obtain purely coaxial longitudinal stresses,

3. two opposite free gripping surfaces on the pole,

4. vertically spaced guiding projections extending from one side of the pole between the free faces towards the mast for cooperation with guiding members thereon, and

5. a guiding portion on said projection having a larger extension longitudinally of the pole than transversely thereof and cooperating with guiding members on the mast for nonrotatably guiding the projection for their displacements parallel with and longitudinally of the axis of the pole. According to one embodiment of the invention said projections are formed of relatively thin webs, uniformly spaced along the length of the pole and extending from the pole towards the mast. which webs at their free ends present a flange coherent therewith and longitudinally slidably but nonrotatably guided in a guide mounted on the mast.

According to the invention the guide on the mast may consist of gripping members engaging the edges of flanges provided on the projection or the guide, respectively.

In a device according to the invention, in which the climbing pole or each climbing pole is formed of a number of sections jointed end to end to form a complete climbing pole, the exact axial transmission of compression stresses from one section to the other is ensured by a coaxial guiding pin in one and a corresponding coaxial guiding hole in the other of two adjacent section ends.

The exact coaxial direction of the compression stresses in climbing poles necessitates also an exactly vertical position thereof. This is according to the invention obtained by providing height adjusting means under distant points of the base of the staying mast.

An advantageous embodiment of such a device is to provide a staying mast of triangular cross section connected with the climbing pole at one corner of the section and with heigth adjusting screws under the two other corners of the section.

Under certain conditions such as strong wind producing especially large transverse forces acting on the load and on the gripping members of the climbing jack, an extra guide of the climbing jacks relative to the mast may be provided by additional guide members mounted onto the climbing jack or jacks and cooperating with special guide rails fixedly mounted on the mast parallel with the climbing pole.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Some embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of a hoisting device comprising two staying masts 1 of conventional framework type.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the means for longitudinally slidably connecting a climbing pole with a staying mast.

FIG. 3 shows a corresponding side view of the same connecting means.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic plane view of an embodiment of the invention comprising a mast of triangular cross section. two climbing poles mounted on one side of the mast and additional guiding means for independent guiding of the climbing jacks onto the mast.

FIG. 5 shows diagrammatically another embodiment of a staying mast of triangular cross section having a climbing pole at one corner of the section and height adjusting members near the base of the two other corners.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIG. 1 only shows the general arrangement of the two staying masts 1 of conventional framework construction, which on their sides facing each other are connected to climbing poles 2. Climbing jacks 3 are arranged for climbing along the poles 2 and are in this special example mounted in pairs, one pair on each pole, and the two jacks of each pair being connected with each other by supporting members 4, the supporting members of both pairs being connected with each other by transverse beam 5 supporting the load 6 to be hoisted. The masts 1 and the poles 2 rest with their lower ends on supporting plates 7 which, for the exact, vertical adjustment of the masts l and the poles 2, are adjustable to desired horizontal position by means of screws 8, by means of which the outer sides of the plates 7 can be adjusted vertically relative to fixed base surfaces 9.

This extremely diagrammatic view does not show the details of the means of longitudinally guiding the poles on the masts which form one object of the invention.

These means are illustrated in FIG. 2 in horizontal section and in FIG. 3 in side elevation, FIG. 2 being a section taken along line 11-11 in FIG. 3. A horizontal beam 10 forming part of the framework of the mast if fixedly connected by conventional means to a vertical guide rail 11 fixedly connected also to further horizontal beams of the mast. This guide rail is of general 1 section the outer flange of which serves as a guide for the climbing pole 12. The climbing pole has an essentially square cross section presenting two opposite faces engaged in a known manner by the gripping jaws of the climbing jack, e.g., as illustrated in the US. Pat. No. 3,203,669. The climbing pole has a number of longitudinally spaced projections, of which only one is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. These projections are formed by a thin web 13 integral with the pole 2 and projecting from the face of the pole turned twoards the mast and ending into a transverse flange 14 of greater width than the adjacent flange of the guide rail 11. The portions of the flange 14 extending outside the edges of the guide rail have gripping members 15 mounted thereon by means of screws 16, said gripping members extending inwards over the edges of the flange of the guide rail 11 and forming longitudinal guide means allowing longitudinal movements of the climbing pole along the guide rail. The extension of the web 13 and its flange l4 longitudinally of pole 2 is larger than the width of the adjacent flange of the guide rail 11, so that the projections 13, 14 are individually guided against rotation about their horizontal center line. The projections 13, 14 are further spaced apart longitudinally of the climbing pole 2 so tha its main section is not influenced by transversestresses due to any asymmetry of its section.

In FIG. 3 the climbing pole 2 is admitted to be assembled from several pole sections 2a and 2b (FIG. 3). In order to avoid transverse stresses in the climbing pole, the exact coaxial transmission of the longitudinal 5, stresses from one section to the other is ensured by corresponding, coaxial guide pins 17 and guide holes 18 in the adjacent end faces of two meeting pole sections.

FlG. 4 illustrates an embodiment with an additional guiding between the climbing jacks and the staying mast adapted to relieve the connection between the climbing jacks and the mast from excessive transverse forces. In this embodiment the staying mast 19 has triangular cross section having two climbing poles 2 and 2' slidingly guided on guide rails ll, 11 (only diagrammatically shown) on one side of the mast. Climbing jacks 3 and 3' cooperating with said climbing poles 2 and 2', respectively, are connected by a transverse beam 20 to which the load is connected, e.g., as diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1. The transverse beam 20 extends outside the climbing jacks 2 and 2' and has at its both ends supporting arms 21 for guiding blocks 22 which are guided in corresponding, channelshaped guide rails 23 on the mast. This device prevents great transverse forces to act on the climbing poles in addition to the heavy compression and buckling stresses to which it is submitted. The connection of the climbing poles 2 and 2 in this embodiment is the same as that illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. illustrates diagrammatically another embodiment of the invention comprising a single climbinpole 24 mounted along one corner of a mast 25 of triangular cross section and slidingly connected therewith by the same means 13-16 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, here for simplicitys sake represented by two adjacent flanges. The face 26 of the mast opposite the climbing pole 24 rests at its base on a beam or board 27, supported at its ends near the corners of the mast by supporting and adjusting screws 28 by which the mast can be adjusted into exact vertical position of the climbing pole 24 to ensure exactly longitudinal coaxial loads thereon.

It is understood that the invention is not limited exactly to the embodiments described above and illustratedin the drawings and that other combinations of the elements'described can be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appending claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A hoisting device comprising climbing poles vertically mounted on a base surface and held in position by staying masts, climbing jacks mounted on said climbing poles, said climbing jacks having means for climbing upwards along said climbing poles, said climbing jacks having means for supporting a load thereon, said climbing pole having a continuous profile along its entire length, two free opposite continuous surfaces cooperating with the climbing jacks, vertically spaced guiding projections extending from one side of the pole from between said free faces towards the staying mast, guiding portions on said projections having a larger extension longitudinally than transversely of the pole for nonrotatably guiding the pole relative to said mast, said mast including a guiding member, and means cooperating with said guiding member on the mast said projections for guiding parallel displacement of the pole relative to the mast along a longitudinal axis of the mast.

2. A device according to claim 1, in which the projections are formed of relatively thin webs uniformly spaced along the length of the pole and extending from the pole towards the mast, said webs at their free ends presenting a flange longitudinally slidably but nonrotatably guided on said guiding member mounted on said mast.

3. A device according to claim 1 in which the climbing pole consists of a number of pole elements connected end to end with each other, in which said pole elements at their ends present inter-engaging guide taps and guide holes provided within the cross section of the pole for exact centering the poleelements coaxially with each other.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising additional guide members mounted on the climbing jacks and cooperating with additional guide rails fixedly mounted on the mast parallel with the climbing pole and independently thereof.

5. A device according to claim 2, in which the flanges of the projections are longitudinally slidably guided on the mast by means of gripping members mounted on the flanges which engage flanges on said guiding mem- 

1. A hoisting device comprising climbing poles vertically mounted on a base surface and held in position by staying masts, climbing jacks mounted on said climbing poles, said climbing jacks having means for climbing upwards along said climbing poles, said climbing jacks having means for supporting a load thereon, said climbing pole having a continuous profile along its entire length, two free opposite continuous surfaces cooperating with the climbing jacks, vertically spaced guiding projections extending from one side of the pole from between said free faces towards the staying mast, guiding portions on said projections having a larger extension longitudinally than transversely of the pole for nonrotatably guiding the pole relative to said mast, said mast including a guiding member, and means cooperating with said guiding member on the mast said projections for guiding parallel displacement of the pole relative to the mast along a longitudinal axis of the mast.
 2. A device according to claim 1, in which the projections are formed of relatively thin webs uniformly spaced along the length of the pole and extending from the pole towards the mast, said webs at their free ends presenting a flange longitudinally slidably but non-rotatably guided on said guiding member mounted on said mast.
 3. A device according to claim 1 in which the climbing pole consists of a number of pole elements connected end to end with each other, in which said pole elements at their ends present inter-engaging guide taps and guide holes provided within the cross section of the pole for exact centering the pole elements coaxially with each other.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 1, comprising additional guide members mounted on the climbing jacks and cooperating with additional guide rails fixedly mounted on the mast parallel with the climbing pole and independently thereof.
 5. A device according to claim 2, in which the flanges of the projections are longitudinally slidably guided on the mast by means of gripping members mounted on the flanges which engage flanges on said guiding members. 